


Victim's Defense

by TeslaGraves



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Court Cases, Courtrooms, Dark(er) Jareth, Drama, Emotional Baggage, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Psychological Elements, Sexual Themes, Shenanigans, Swearing, Unresolved Emotional Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:47:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27528682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeslaGraves/pseuds/TeslaGraves
Summary: Sarah is a lawyer. Jareth is, well, the king of the Goblins. They are in love, don't know that the other cares, and both plan to with this case.I own nothing, the characters belong to Jim Henson, just playing around here. Others can feel free to use my characters as well, all I would say is I request that you ask first if you want to, but there's almost no reason why I'd say no :)
Relationships: Jareth/Sarah Williams
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

A growl. A flash of fangs and a glint of eyes. A pleased smirk. “You said... She’s a lawyer?” A creature bows and scrapes to the being in the shadows, unsure of its life, but very sure of its information. “Yes, Sire. A lawyer. She just finished her exams, very sure of herself she is... won her first case... a murder trial.”

A low, cruel, feral laugh resounds through the chamber, which is splendid and refined... in a very dark, beastly, wild way. The creature trembles. Under its breath, “Poor, poor lady.” The laugh cuts off instantly. Much too quietly, as a calm before the storm, the shadowed form speaks. “What was that?”

“N-n-nothing your majesty! Nothing at all... I was just... just...” The poor thing’s eyes dart around, looking for escape, but alas, none know better than those that serve this dark master, there is none. “J-just wishing I could serve you to bring her to you however you wanted, Sire! That’s all!”

“However I wanted, hmmm?” Musingly, the wild Fae steps from the shadows, with a mock expression of thought on his face. “Well... do you want it that badly? I’ll reward you, of course.”

A look of greed crosses the creature’s simple face. “What would be the reward... Sire?” The sly look almost makes the Fae burst out laughing, well aware that the creature has no actual brain to speak of, hence, no real slyness. He examines the pitiful, stupid thing in front of him. “You would never have to work again.”

The creature giggles excitedly. “Deal! What do I have to do?”

Casually, too casually, he smiles and looks at his gloves. “Two things, throw this,” he hands the creature a crystal that he pulls out of the air, “at her, then come back to report to me.”

The creature giggles and takes it. “Done!” It vanishes, and the Fae, watching the spot where it was, doubles over in laughter, clutching the throne to stay upright. “Now... Sarah-mine... the game is up. If I win this, and I _will_ win this... your soul....” He laughs even harder at the thought, “belongs to me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music mentioned in this chapter:
> 
> Helisir, a Norse Gothic band. Here's a link to their spotify page: https://open.spotify.com/artist/06PE0H14KHqMtERxX1IBaw
> 
> Kalafina, a Japanese Symphonic Metal band, best known for work with animes like Puella Magi Madoca Magica and Black Butler, among others, spotify link here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2otsTXVV2ZWZ8T5LPzsBhy
> 
> And, to y'all who might be wondering, yes, I did intentionally switch tenses. For some reason, I really like prologues to be in present tense, but to have the action in past tense. idk, don't ask why

An alarm went off somewhere in Sarah’s room. She sat bolt upright, startled awake. Looking around, she tried to find the source of the sound. When her eye did not land on it right away, she knew she would have to search. She got up and rummaged for a while, only stopping when it stopped on its own.

Aloud to herself, she whispered, “what the hell? I know that was somewhere around here...” Her room was neat, and nice. Not... fancy, not pretentious, not super expensive... but, nice. Her bed was against the left wall, facing the door. Her room, and her whole apartment for that matter, were decorated in white, gold, and pink.

Suddenly, it hit her, and she cursed herself for an idiot. “Shit! It’s Saturday, I don’t have a case, and that was the neighbor’s alarm! Damn apartment building.” She sat down again, considering whether or not to try to sleep again. Thus she sat, frozen for 30 minutes, her brain already beginning to whirl.

“Ah damn, and now my head is awake... oh well.” She stood up and went to her dresser, rummaging through. Unknown even to herself why, she chose businesslike clothing. As she grabbed a shirt, she froze. Her hand had brushed something, the touch of which her skin remembered, even as her brain struggled to comprehend its nature. She pulled out the mysterious thing and gasped.

It was a simple peasant shirt, nothing more, but when it brushed her, it felt like silk, the likes and quality of which was unthinkably rich. “This... this shirt... It looks like... like...” As fast as the thought had appeared, it vanished again. “Damn. If only it were easier to keep track of my thoughts...” She pulled out that shirt instead of the one that she had planned on, and layed out the outfit on her bed, to compare the vision in her head with the physical reality. It included that shirt, a pair of black leggings, casual and comfortable while being, since they were made out of leather, nice.

Her eyes stared at it, her head registering nothing. Ever since she had been younger, about 15 or 16, she had become forgetful. Certain things always triggered these fits of fogginess... owls, certain legends, stuffed animals. The doctors had traced it back to a traumatic head injury she had received. Apparently, when her parents had gotten home from a date one night, she had babbled about wishing her little brother away, and a Goblin King, and other such nonsense.

She had just hitten her head, that much was clear due to the quantity of blood on the back of her head, and the corresponding blood on her nightstand. She had been rushed to the ER, and although the physical injuries were able to be healed, the mental injuries didn’t seem to leave. She had still seemed to believe her cock-and-bull story. The family hadn’t known what to do. The family had gone through a series of psychologists, psychiatrists, and doctors to try and help her. Not only had she been convinced of what she told them, but she stubbornly repeated the story to whoever would listen to her.

Finally, when she terrified a child to tears by her strange tale, refusing to let it go, desperate for someone to believe her story, even if it was just a child, they had decided that enough was enough. She got sent to her room the moment they got home, from where she caught snatches of her parents’ conversation. Her father said something about “...one place we haven’t tried. The specialist.” She had heard her step-mother beg her father in tears. “...just a child... think of the shame... Do we have to go to _**Him**_?” Her father had been adamant for once, and she had been taken to see him the very next day.

A man with pale hair, strange, mismatched eyes, very clean-cut with a crisp accent, at first, she had been loath to accept him, muttering about the Goblin King. He had kissed his teeth, shaking his head. He reproached her parents about taking so long to come to him and then had requested they vacate the room, as the case was very serious, very urgent, and he would need space to work. They had sadly complied, casting distressed looks at their daughter as they had left. He had approached her, and the last thing she had registered before darkness and bliss was his cologne... masculine, to say the least, it had almost smelled to her like... how she imagined the moon must smell or... magic. She had told him as much, and he just smiled and said they would get along just fine. He made her sit down and hypnotized her.

That was the end of it. From then on, she had not even remembered what bullshit story it was that she had tried so hard to make accepted. All this flashed through her head as she looked at her clothing. Her head said that she was missing something, was forgetting something. She shook off her fog and went to run a nice long bath. When it was ready, she slipped into the steaming tub, relaxing. She allowed her mind to wander, telling herself to forget those unproductive thoughts. She had recovered sufficiently since that injury, had graduated school _summa cum laude_... there was nothing missing. Was there?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once she finished her bath and dressed, she began making herself breakfast in her kitchen. It was a lovely, modern kitchen, complete with a granite island countertop that served as both a prep counter and a table. All her appliances and cabinets matched, a nice shade of white. As she cooked pancakes and made coffee, her favorite breakfast for a lazy Saturday, she looked out the windows of her penthouse apartment. She left her kitchen for a moment, deciding to eat outside when she discovered just how warm it was.

She remained on her balcony long after she was finished, sipping her coffee and looking over the greenery. Her plants, her peonies in particular, were getting along nicely. It was early spring, but blooming for all of that. She was not thinking about anything in particular, simply taking in the air and sun. She decided to turn on some music on her phone before putting it down to just play. As she let the soothing sounds of Helisir wash over her, she contemplated her recent case with satisfaction.

The case had been fairly simple. Her client was accused of the murder of his husband in collusion with her lover. As far as the evidence went, circumstantially it had all been packed up against the man. As Sarah had looked into the case, she had realized that there was absolutely no way that her client had done it. Professional requirements aside, she believed him, and her searches had made that a reasonable belief.

Her client had been gone the night of the murder, in another country for crying out loud! And his lover hadn’t cared about the man’s husband, in fact, neither of the men had cared about the husband. Evidence suggested that he had known about the affair and didn’t care either. She smiled to herself when she remembered that courtroom... The scenes, the opposition, best of all, the stunned faces when she successfully proved that it was a suicide... and all that, fresh out of law school on a pro bono case...! Well, it wouldn’t be a situation many would envy her but she had come out on top.

As she thought about it, her mind reminded her that it was sure she had seen that doctor watching. When she was younger, she had merely thought of him as a doctor, nothing more. A little strange, perhaps, and certainly an attractive man, but not to her. Now that she was older, she found herself looking back on that man with more and more interest. Her sex drive repeatedly reminded her just how attractive of a man he was, and just how much attractive he might look with his clothes next to hers... on the floor in the corner.

She allowed her mind to wander over him more, her cheeks heating. Strangely enough though, when she tried to consider how he would look without his professional suits, she instead thought of him in very outlandish clothing indeed! A cloak, feathers, high boots, among other things. As if he would wear anything like that!

Suddenly, it occurred to her that her mental image reminded her of a certain myth... If only she wasn’t so forgetful sometimes... She was sure that she had the right book somewhere in her extensive collection, anyhow. She stood up, stretched, and then dropping her phone in her pocket, and picking up her dishes, she went inside.

She went straight to her library room after dropping off her dishes in the kitchen, aware she would need to clean them later. Her library room was the proudest part of her apartment for her. She had rented a two-bedroom just for this. It was floor-to-ceiling with books, arranged alphabetically by section, genre, and author’s last name within all of that.

If there was one thing Sarah prided herself on, it was being neat. Sarah had not always been that way. As a child, she had been a hoarder and a messy one at that. After all the drama with her head injury though, she decided that she just had to make a change, which is why she got her life together, joined the honor’s program in her high school, organized her life, left her friends behind...

She went straight to the myth section, which she had put next to her law books. Someone once questioned this choice, which she explained by pointing out that the laws of the earliest civilizations grew alongside of myths and legends. As she pondered where in that section to look, her brain prompted her to look up the Erlkonig. She smiled to herself. He had been, after all, an almost elven man. For her brain, as educated as she was, to suggest the image of him as the child-stealing Elf King... it wasn’t too far off.

She brushed her hands along the spines of her well-loved, well-known books, frowning lightly to herself. She passed over each tome, not finding the one that she sought. She checked them all again, and then a third time. Panic threatened to set in. If she had lost a book, lost her precious organization... she had lost her routine, she had lost everything...!

She forced herself to take a deep breath and calm down. She checked again, and, even though she did not find the book she had been searching for, she found another volume, a slim, slightly worn little thing, with a red velvet cover. She opened it, not aware of what it was, and began to read...

...She felt that she was slipping in and out of reality. This was all so familiar and yet so different. The tale felt like hers, but at the same time, it was impossible! She read and reread the book until she was forced to stop by her hunger. She took the book with her into her living room and realized by the setting sun that she had been reading the book for hours. She decided to make herself something to eat, leaving the book on her mantlepiece next to her mirror.

As she set about making herself dinner, she didn’t notice the book tremble. Then jump. Then it fell to the floor. Listening to her music, Kalafina now, she didn’t notice.

A small shadow approached the mirror, watching her keenly. It peeled itself away, and a small creature, rather misshapen, landed on her floor. Giggling silently, it dashed to her island table and sat on one of her bar stools. She didn’t notice it until she turned to place her completed pasta on the table. Seeing it sitting there, she jumped, dropping the plate, which shattered and left large splotches of sauce on her sweater. She stared at it.

Cackling audibly now, it pulled a light, crystalline orb out of nowhere and threw it at her. She just had time to scream before it swallowed her whole. It landed on the ground, shaking a little. The creature picked it up and disappeared through the mirror again.

The little thing was very puffed up and pleased with itself for carrying out its work. It scurried pompously to the throne room. “Sire! Sire! I did it, Sire! I’s ready for my reward now, Sire!”

Jareth looked at it with amused eyes and made a gesture for it to approach. “Mmmm... well done, my little cretin... now tell me, remind me, for I’m afraid, my mind is getting slow and forgetful in my old age... remind me, what was your reward?”

“You’s said I wouldn’t have to work again, remember?” With a slight glower from the king lounging on his throne, the creature gulped and dropped his eyes. Quietly, he finished, “remember, Sire...?”

Jareth smiled suddenly, a thing as unsettling as it could be. “Ah... ah yes... well then, here’s your reward.” He grabbed a dagger from inside his boot, examined it thoughtfully, and then, with a sudden, vicious movement, he threw it through the little goblin’s head so forcefully it came out the other side. He threw back his head and treated himself to laughter for a long time, a dangerous, unhinged laugh. The other goblins quickly and quietly cleared out. They might not have been smart, but even they knew when to avoid the king.

Once they had all gone, Jareth’s laughter stopped abruptly, like a switch had been flipped. Quickly, he got up and took the orb from the goblin’s cold, still, clutching hands. He examined it for a brief moment before smashing it on the ground, carefully away from the pile of blood and guts.

Sarah stood there in an instant, looking at him with a mixture of fear, revulsion, and anger. “Jareth.” She spat the word like it left a bad taste in her mouth. “I wish I still didn’t remember you, but I guess I do. Why did you do that to the poor goblin? You told him he wouldn’t have to work again, and--”

“That will do, Precious. Don’t question me. I said he wouldn’t have to work again, and I told the truth.” Jareth toed the carcass. “After all... it’s not like he can.” Sarah shuddered. He looked at her swiftly, and suddenly they were in the middle of the castle gardens. Sarah folded her arms over her chest, struggling to conceal the war inside of her. On the one hand, as a lawyer, she could appreciate the legalistic precision of his words... he hadn’t said anything untrue... technically. On the other hand, that action was horrible...! And then, too, it didn’t help that her traitorous body wanted this man... that confused everything. “Why did you call me here? ...Or I suppose, as is more accurate, kidnap me?”

Jareth sighed. “Tsk-tsk-tsk, Precious... I didn’t kidnap you. I summoned you. There is a gulf of difference between a kidnapping and a royal summons. I called you here... because you are going on trial. I’m suing you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bum-bum-bummmmmm!!!!! I'd love your guy's theories on what's going down now! As shit gets real.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys if this is a bit fast paced... as my SO pointed out, I'm a bit rusty to this type of writing, I normally do plays and poetry and such, so... But I hope y'all enjoy anyway.

Sarah stared at him, rather frozen in shock. “Y-you... you’re putting me. Me? On trial? What for? What have I ever done against...” As she trailed off, a look of realization crossed her face. She bit her lip, aware she could think of a couple of things she’d done against Jareth, as a matter of fact. He watched her face with amusement. She flushed at that, and dropped her eyes. “W-well, so why though?” She straightened up, her tone becoming brisk and professional. “I am aware that I have done things that may not have been pleasing in your sight, however I’m afraid that, as I’m aware, I have done nothing to harm you in a way that could be taken to court.”

“Tsk-tsk-tsk Sarah... once again you question me. A king. I can sue you for whatever I want, if I choose to sue you for... heartbreak, then I will. I can. Besides, Fae court is a little different.”

Sarah’s tone clearly showed she was spiraling into panic again. This wasn’t her plan, this wasn’t the routine, and as Jareth could clearly see, that threw her off more than anything. “F-fae court? I thought you were just telling me that you were suing me, then you were going to send me home, then I would be able to fight you in open court, then--” She stopped, her eyes wide as he suddenly appeared there, at her ear.

He purred into it. “Once again, Precious Thing, I am exhausted from living up to your expectations. We will do this my way.”

“C-can I at least go home? To be in my own home, in my own bed? I’ll come back for it, but...”

“Mmmm...” He pretended to consider it, but it was obviously just that; a pretense. “No.”

“B-but why? I’m a lawyer, I know better than to avoid a court case but...”

“Because... Precious... Thing...” He lifted a strand of her hair in his hand, and watched it flow over the leather glove, “I won’t let you. You are mine. You belong to me. And I find, that I tend to desire to **_keep_** the things that I own.”

She stepped back quickly, irritated and frowning now. “If I belong to me, why do you even have to sue me?”

He threw back his head and laughed. “Ah... Sarah-mine, you really are refreshing after the stupid little goblins and other such creatures... a fair point. However. It doesn’t really change anything. I’m still suing you. And you still can’t go home. You will stay in the castle. I would send you to an inn, but... goblin inns...” He shuddered, the shudder of a cleanly, self-conscious man. “No, best stay here.”

“Do I at least get a lawyer? You know, as is fair?”

He stared at her for a moment. “Precious... you... get a lawyer? You _are_ a lawyer.”

“W-well yes, but... hold up, how do you know that?”

“Let’s just say... a little goblin told me.” He smirked, baring those fangs that made him not _quite_ human. She shuddered. To herself, “poor thing...” He narrowed his eyes at her. She met them, then flushed and looked away.

She straightened up, desperate to regain some semblance of control. “At any rate. I don’t know Fae court. It’s true that I am a lawyer. But I haven’t been in Fae court, and just like they would never ask an American lawyer to defend someone in an English court of law, I don’t think it’s fair to ask me to defend myself in a judicial system that I am unfamiliar with.” She looked a little proud of herself, aware that she must sound at least a little impressive.

He examined her up and down, in a way that made her feel naked and vulnerable in front of him. She flushed even more hotly and looked away, disliking the feeling for making her enjoy the attention and looks of this man, this man who killed in lieu of rewards, who was domineering, rude, proud, arrogant... _‘...and **sexy** ,’_ added her libido. She told herself to shut up.

His smirk widened to almost a sneer. He clearly knew what was going through her head and enjoyed it. “‘It’s not fair’... this old thing? Dearest, I had assumed that you had at least matured with all the... growing you did.” His eyes dwelt on her chest, making it all too obvious that his emphasis was more than intentional. She choked, and closed her eyes, hoping against hope that her skin would not get any redder. She was starting to feel a little like a tomato with a sunburn.

“At any rate.” His tone changed to match her former one, brisk and professional. “You will be defending yourself, as I will be defending myself. The main differences between a Fae court and a human court are as follows. One, in a lawsuit, the two parties are not told what the settlement should be, but whichever wins gets to demand **_whatever_** prize they should so desire.” his smirk became lecherous. “Two, the judge may follow his or her whims, so making an objection on the grounds of precedence or such will not change their minds in the slightest and may even turn them against you. If you wish to sustain an objection, you have to figure out other ways to appeal to them... and their self interest. Thirdly, there is no jury. And lastly...” She opened her eyes and looked at him, aware she would like this last clause the least. “...the judge is appointed by the prosecution.”

She closed her eyes again and let out a defeated sigh. “In other words, there is no _possible_ way for me to win.”

“Not necessarily Precious. I can choose whom I like to judge the case, but it cannot be myself. And, there is only one person that I would choose to judge a case of this importance.”

She looked at him questioningly. She was not sure if it could change anything for her, in fact she was fairly sure it wouldn’t, but she wanted to know.

“My father, Sarah. High King of the Underground. Auberon.”

For the third time that day, Sarah was completely frozen. “Y-your father... is Auberon. The Auberon. The one that William Shakespeare wrote about, the one that is the King of fucking Fairyland? Holy... Shit...”

Jareth growled. His eyes darkened and his stance became threatening. Sarah hastily took a few steps back from him, eyeing him warily. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that this Fae was dangerous and unbalanced.

“Never. Refer. To. Him. As. Such. Again. William Shakespeare paid for his insolence. My father is not merely the king of fairies, but the king of all magical folk. The king of the fairies is, in fact, an insufferable, slobbish, empty, brainless little thing that can only be called king because of the crown on his head. You never understood as a child, but you have run my labyrinth. You know that fairies are insufferable pests who would preferably be completely exterminated forever. To call my father the King of fairies was an insult too far, a stain on his honor, a stain on his image...” Jareth seemed to be so angry that he had run out of things to say. He ground his teeth, the sneer having become a very dangerous one.

Sarah gulped. She whispered, “H-he paid... how?” She awaited Jareth’s response fearfully. He grinned wolfishly. She gulped again. _‘Nope, definitely not human Williams... and not attractive. He would not make a good lover... get ahold of yourself!’_

“Do you remember... the old man... in the Labyrinth? With the bird for his hat?”

“Y-yes... I do...”

“The hat.. is a demon who constantly torments the old man. As for the man himself... did you never wonder why everything he said was so vague? It’s Shakespeare... cursed to live forever in old age, with a demon on his head, annoying him day and night... ah, but the loveliest part, Precious Thing... he is bound to me, by his soul. He must do my bidding. Time and time again I’ve watched the heart inside that body shrivel as he is forced to direct runners to their deaths... wanting to cry out and warn them, but trapped in a cage of my will...” He laughed again. She backed up slowly, shaking her head slightly. This man... He was the most horrifying man she’d ever met, and she regularly consorted with criminals for her job...!

Horrified at herself, not wanting to ask any further, but unable to stop herself, she blurted, “B-but why would he direct them to their deaths? I thought you just turned the ones who didn’t succeed and their wished-aways into Goblins...” He looked at her slowly, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes widening in horror and terror.

Softly, gently, **velvety**... he responded. “Precious... The wished-aways, yes. They are turned into Goblins... but did you never wonder where the Labyrinth got its power...?”

“N-no... I-it’s not true... you don’t mean...”

“Yes, Precious. I _do_ mean.” He smirked at her distress.

In a horrified whisper, she finished the awful suspicion that was beginning to lurk. “Y-you mean... that the labyrinth... kills the failed runners... to get its power?”

Jareth nodded, eyes fastened on her face, drinking in her reaction.

“I’m going to be sick...” She clasped her hand over her mouth and swayed. He caught her. She threw up on him, instantly terrified at what she’d done. She looked at him quickly, beseeching him not to be angry. His eyes were unreadable. When she looked back at his shirt, ashamed, she was shocked to see there was nothing on it. She looked at him again.

Quietly, “Magic, Sarah-mine. I don’t choose to be covered in mortal vomit at this time.” She flushed and nodded.

“Although... I don’t know why it would make you so sick... after all, humans live off of each other all the time... take advantage of each other, starve each other, just for the sake of their own self-interest... humans are the real monsters. The Labyrinth is a predator, nothing more. You wouldn’t blame a wolf for eating a deer.” She shuddered away from him, swaying, but forcing herself to stand on her own.

“We don’t cannibalize our own...”

“No? Really... tell me that it isn’t a form of cannibalism when you leech your neighbor’s possessions for your own.”

“I-it isn’t... it’s... self-interest. Fighting for survival.”

“Mhmmm... and the Labyrinth isn’t fighting for survival? She is alive, you know. And it isn’t cannibalism. She’s not human.”

“W-well... hold up. Wait wait wait... she? The Labyrinth... has a...”

“Gender? Yes. The Labyrinth ties itself to the king, and acts as a queen when there isn’t one. In the case that the king should die without taking a bride, the Labyrinth becomes the king’s consort and bares their heir.”

“That’s... In that case, how the hell do I belong to you? I understand that I reject, what was misunderstood by myself when younger, a marriage proposal, but if you have the Labyrinth...”

“She’s not exactly a scintillating bedfellow... besides, Precious. There’s no law against me asking for your hand a second, or third time, or however many times I choose. But it is bold of you to assume that I will offer you my hand another time. You seem to have forgotten, I called you here to sue you, not court you.”

“...ah damn.”

“Hmmmm? Would you prefer that I court you... Precious Sarah?”

“W-what? No! No... no. I was just...”

“You thought to distract me, hmmm? I am a king. I am used to the tactics of those who do not wish to acknowledge a situation. I will still carry through my lawsuit. But, setting that aside for now. I will take you on a tour of the castle, then we will dine, then I will show you to your chambers. Which reminds me. You are not to leave the castle walls. Period. If you do, you are automatically forfeit to me and the penalty I should desire without the courts at all.”

“Is that another rule of Fae court?”

“Yes, it is. Do I make myself clear..” he again was immediately before her. He grabbed her chin and forcefully tilted her head up so her eyes would meet his. “...Sarah?”

She jerked her head away. “Yes...” She took on a mocking tone. “...Your Highness.”

He had already turned away and was leading the way out of the garden. “In the future, you will refrain from that method of address, my Pet. Highness is meant for a prince. Should you continue to refer to me as such, I may just have to bog you... or keep you in an oubliette. Understood?”

Quietly, “yes, your Pompousness.”

His head whipped around and his eyes narrowed. His breath hissed out from between his teeth. “What was that... _Precious_?”

She looked at him innocently. “Yes, your Majesty.”

He snorted, well aware that wasn’t what she had said. “Very good, Pet. Come along.”

As he led them through the castle, Sarah found she could not concentrate on anything he was saying. She dutifully looked at what he told her to look at, and made the proper noises of awe and astonishment. Her head was whirling, full of new information churning her gut. Already, she was trying to plan how should would carry through her lawsuit, and already she had the sense that she was doomed. Jareth understood just how she felt, so he left her to her thoughts for the most part, content that she was at least being obedient for once, something he was aware would not last for long.

Throughout dinner, sumptuous though it was, she found herself paying much more attention to the man on the other side of the table. She tried very hard to understand what was going through his head, and to understand, for that matter, what was going through her own.

Finally, when she was alone in her chambers, and heard the lock click after Jareth as he left for the night, did her full circumstances come crashing down on her. She was in the castle of the man she had denied the existence of for years, about to be engaged in a lawsuit with him in open court, of a judicial system she didn’t understand, founded as it seemed to her on whims, and stuck, to give whatever price Jareth should demand of her, when he decided to demand it of her. She clenched her fists unconsciously, and vowed out loud, “I will win this. I _will_ with this. That pompous bastard can’t take everything away from me without a fight. I will beat him at his little game, and then I will laugh! The only thing left to do, is decide what I’ll demand from him in payment! If I do that... then I’ll be stronger to defend myself.” She sat down on the four-poster bed in the chamber and got to thinking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, in the chambers of the king...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...”Damn it. This _is_ going to be quite the fight. But... I _have_ to win.” Jareth held his necklace in front of him, twirling it absentmindedly and watching it. “She won’t take the same penalty, of that I’m sure. Damn those sharp green eyes! She knows what I want... Court her again... I would, but... with how defiant she is, to be sure she’ll turn me down. That’s why... I need to collect my penalty, to turn her Fae and make her my queen... oh, Precious Sarah... how you turn my world.” He buried his head in his hands and wept softly, the weeping of a powerful man who is broken by a force he knows and can control not. As he did so, the night sky painted on his ceiling began to revolve, and a gentle humming began, the notes of that forgotten song so long ago in the crystalline ballroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so y'all know... i'm a busy bean, so... I probably won't be posting so frequently in the future. The only reason I am right now is because I'm quarantined at home with little to do. So. I will try to put a bunch out there for now, and maybe I'll write a few extra that I don't post right away as padding for when I need more time to myself... but I'll let you know when my muse becomes more fleeting :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoy. A largely Jareth POV, for once. We need to spread the love, after all :)
> 
> And... anything to drag out the time before the courtroom... can't get to those shenanigans too fast ;)
> 
> Warning: Overtly sexual themes. Dominant Jareth. Submissive someone else. Nothing is shown or described, just heavily implied.
> 
> Also, shameless plug, but here's a link to my redbubble shop. I have merch of many different types, quotes from famous people, fandoms art, and other things. The art style tends to be kitchy bright contrasting colors, but I also have other stuff in there, and either way it's up to y'all. The reason I'm linking it here, is, we now have merch relating to this fanfic! Here goes! Tesla-Graves.redbubble.com
> 
> Thanks for accepting my shameless advertising lol

_ Day 1: I sit in my room. Sarah has been caught, and all is going according to plan. The only thing I did plan on was this... softness. Of course, I’m an immortal, it’s not like I’ve not been in love before, but it was always a hard love, and when turned down, I would be able to get over it. This is different, this... Every time she flinches from me with fear or revulsion... every part of me just wants to comfort her, reorder time, move the stars... just to see her smile again. _

_ Foolish, of course. She turned me down, so why am I still trying? That foolish, defiant, infuriating mortal... she has snared me like no other. I can’t possibly loose her. She is entwined around everything... and best of all, the Labyrinth loves her. The Labyrinth loves those who can subjugate it... and she has done nothing less. _

Jareth laid down his pen for a moment, and sighed. He glanced down at his book. He felt restless for some reason. He stood and paced to the glass doors which separated him from his balcony, hands clasped behind his back. A melodious voice spoke from behind him.

“Why do you write this, my king? Must this all be chronicled?”

He did not stir, but his face and jaw tightened. The owner of the enchanting voice crept up behind him, closer.

“My lord.”

Still, he stirred now. A soft hand, delicate and bronze, ghosted around his arm and came to rest on his chest. Finally, he looked at her.

Snappishly, “Why are you here, Lyris? She is here now, there is no need for you to come to me, especially not in that... that...” He seemed to be at a loss for words as his eyes climbed up and down her form, his lip curling in disgust. She was a petit, delicate looking thing, with a hint of power in her face. Her eyes were large and luminous, of ever changing color. The one constant that remained was the flecks of gold floating through her irids. Her hair was a soft purple, shoulder length, with a streak of white. She was dressed like an Ancient Egyptian woman, complete even to the sheer linen of which the ensemble was made. She had but one accessory, a golden wrapped bracelet with the same symbol as his necklace. She pouted at him adorably, her little soft lips like a child’s.

He pushed away from her. Icily, “my question still stands, or are you  _ deaf _ now, Lyris? I have no more need of you.”

“But my lord... what if you do?”

“I don’t. Begone.”

She crossed her arms and laughed softly. “You are still my king. If I don’t choose to let you take a queen... then you may not take a queen.”

He glared at her, fury battling with the realization she might not give up her position so easily. “But... she was chosen! She fought and won!”

“Well yes... but then she turned you down, remember, hmmmm?”

“Stop it. I know. But she’s back.”

“By force.”

“She wants me too, I can feel!”

“...Does she?” She laughed as she watched Jareth crumble inside slightly. He caved and placed his head in his hands, obviously fighting the fear that had plagued him all along.

A growl released from deep in his throat. Suddenly, he straightened, all but in the shadows, eyes glinting with rage, and she backed up. She had not planned to go this far, but her jealousy had gotten the better of her. Now she had defied her king, perhaps too far. Still growling, he advanced on her swiftly, with purpose. “ _ Dearest _ ...  _ Lyris _ ... did you just challenge your king? You forget...  _ pretty one _ ...” He launched forward and grabbed her hair, forcing her eyes up to meet his. He noted well how she trembled. “You chose me, O Labyrinth. And now, you belong to me, for as long as I shall live. I chose her. And you, you little pixie... I could break you with one arm!” He shook her by the hair, and she let out a strangled gasp. “Did we forget, my little  _ consort _ ... what the meaning of our hair was? These purple locks...? What they mean...?” She shook her head.

“No? You didn’t? Then what do they mean?” When she didn’t answer immediately, he shook her again, growling louder.

“T-they... they mean...”

“Mean what, slave?”

“T-that... I belong to you.”

“Belong to me, hmmm? Just how much?”

“Everything I am. It is yours, my lord.”

“Everything...?”

“Yes... everything.”

“Why is that? What is the significance of the color?” Again impatient when she didn’t respond right away, he tightened his hands in her hair. She jumped and gave a low moan. He sneered cruelly, well aware what effect this was having on her. “Answer me, bitch.”

“P-purple... oh please... my lord... please...”

“Answer. The. Question.”

“It is the color that pleasure slaves wear in their hair. Oh, please my lord.”

He snarled, darkly pleased, and threw her aside. He walked to his desk and sat down again, taking up his pen, but not recommencing writing. Coldly, “Do what you will, only take care that you touch me not. As my  _ slave _ , it is up to me what you do. Hence, and I will say this once only, so pay attention. That mortal is my choice. You are not to interfere. You are not, henceforth, to approach me with your  _ need _ . You have grown far too comfortable, O Labyrinth and here is your reward.” He sneered again, hearing the excited whimpering from behind him, well aware of what the little wench was doing. “In the future, you will do everything you can to guide her into my bed and my arms. You will hinder nothing. And I expect you to be her slave as well. Understood?”

“Y-yes m-master....” her voice trailed off in a low keening wail.

He growled low in his throat. “Now get out.”

Breathily, voice shaking a little, “Yes my lord.” It was apparent the moment she was gone, as the room became very quiet.

Jareth stared at his book for a while, wanting to write, but not having the words. He sighed under his breath. Out loud, “Sing for me.”

The stars on his ceiling glowed brightly, and a heaveningly singing began around him. He sighed. Again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_ The Labyrinth, though at first loath to accept the need to leave my arms and bed, has been won over. She loves the girl too, really. She just forgot somewhere along the line... she was nothing more than a stand-in, to attend to me until I found someone I wanted as a bride. _

_ It occurs to me that I have not yet outlined my plan. Fate and Sarah will forgive me this someday, I know, when she is my queen. I have taken my Sarah to the Underground, and plan to sue her in open court. Since the Fae court rules that settlement is based on the wishes of the winner, I plan to turn my dearest into a Fae and make her my bride. I cannot let her win, as I can not even begin to imagine what she would choose, but I am certain it would not be to my advantage. _

_ As for what I am suing her for... it does not matter. I will decide before the court date, at the very least. This will be a difficult fight. Sarah, precious Sarah, is a lawyer now, educated Above. She is more than familiar with a courtroom, as am I, but unlike her, I have not been asked to defend myself in court, or another... til now, I have always been judge. At the very least, if I did lose... although that does not bear thinking. But if I did... I would get to see her beautiful smile of triumph once more, that I have only see before when she ran... that night... that night... _

He set down his pen again, and buried his head in his hands, weeping silently. “My precious, darling girl... Why must the Fates be so cruel? For you alone are my equal, and you alone still resist me... my beloved...”

He raised his head and pulled out a crystal, peering into its depths. Once more he relived that fateful night. His voice and the girl’s... echoing as if through his psyche, drilling another hole in his tenuous sanity. He cried the more, still silently, as the part of the encounter that hurt the worst played out before his face.

“Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave.”

“You have no power over me...!”

He howled as though struck, and threw the crystal, shattering it. He allowed himself to wallow moments more before returning to his writing, this time tears dotting the pages.

_ Alas, the pain still plagues almost 12 years later... and how she has grown, but the same precious girl is still there. I ache for the pain she must be facing even now in her chambers... I went to her world to aid her for a reason. Yes, it hurt me to see her lose her memories of me, of Hoggle, Didymus, Ludo, the Underground... and if I’d had my way, she would have retained it all... but I could not stand to see the dear thing in so much pain... ostracized, not believed... everything that any intelligent being hates and tries to avoid. _

_ It hurt the Labyrinth too. She had been such a strong tether, but it had to be done. If she had been lost, then we would have lost all that we had... since... my soul cleaves to hers. I cannot take another as my bride now, or the pain should surely kill me. And she is so perfect... I watched her first case out of law school. A successful one. I am sure that she saw me in the crowd, although she did not know me for me. _

_ I grow tedious. This book was not intended to chronicle my pain, or the perfections of that bewitching mortal, but to chronicle the truth behind my plan so that... one day, should I win and Sarah become mine... she may know and understand what I did. For nothing could hurt me more than that she misunderstand me... and hate me for it. Thus, I close for now. Til the next time I have something to report. Adieu. _

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He sighed, and put his pen away, closing his book. He sat back in his chair, strangely exhausted, running his hands through his hair. He closed his eyes and just sat there.

A little while later, there was a tentative knock on his door. Without opening his eyes, he called out. “Come in.” The door clicked open, and there was the delicate tread of soft feet, then another click as the door closed. Jareth opened his eyes, stood up, and turned to face the intruder.

The beautiful intruder, as it turned out. For there stood Sarah, glowing and refreshed, wearing one of the dresses that he had commanded the elven seamstresses to make for her. It was a pale golden yellow, off the shoulder with delicate, sheer sleeves, tight at the waist, then falling to the floor in flowing layers of tulle. A touch of color darkened the Fae king’s cheeks as he looked at her.

“Precious...” His voice had become velvety soft, a touch rumbly, low, and definitely hot. “You look gorgeous. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”

“I... well, I figured, as I will probably be here some time, that we could, you know, catch up.”

“Of course, whatever you want. May I ask... what prompted this? I was under the impression that you...”

“I was surprised, but... I mean, I forgot you, and maybe getting my memories back, I misunderstood some things... besides, I had found my way to your lovely library, and... from what I understand, while your behavior might not be what I expected or hoped... it’s what’s normal for Fae... and I understand there are things that I do that would be offensive to Fae as well. I think, part of it is culture shock, you know? So, I wanted to try and get to know you and understand you... just you know, because I can.”

A dark little chuckle escaped Jareth’s lips. “Knowledge is power, eh, Sarah-mine? Once a lawyer, always a lawyer.” Sarah blushed.

“However, I have absolutely no objections to getting to know you further. Come, let us have our morning meal, and we can get more acquainted over that. Deal?”

She nodded. He smiled, and offered her his hand, in a gesture that, for someone else would be old fashioned, but for him, was merely natural. She took it.

Over breakfast, they chatted about this and that. Sarah internally marvelled at how well they got along. After, they went to the throne room. She was much surprised when Jareth insisted that she sit on his throne, and he sat on the steps below her, smiling. She had tried to protest, but he had insisted, so that was how the arrangement stayed. Finally, she got the courage to ask what had been on her mind all that morning.

“J-jareth...” She paused. His name was still unfamiliar on her tongue, after so many years of formality, but he had insisted on that as well.

His eyes searched hers. Gently, “yes, my pet?”

“What happened to... to... Hoggle? And Didymus? And... Ludo? I haven’t seen them anywhere, and as we were friends and all...” Something in his eyes made her trail off and listen anxiously for what his response would be. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, frowning slightly.

“Alas, Precious... You have much to learn... much to be told about. As you had said, yes we do have much to catch up on... I was hoping you would not ask that so soon.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun-dun-duuunnnnn... *Jazz hands*
> 
> Please, leave feedback, questions, comments, concerns, I love them all :)
> 
> Shoutout to Sarah's dress. I got the idea from this gorgeous creation by designer Teuta Matoshi: https://www.teutamatoshi.com/products/charming-ella-gown
> 
> This designer literally does all of the beautiful fairytale-ish things that we all wish we owned. :)
> 
> Note about the purple hair thing... I got the idea from HatchimansKitsune, specifically from their story '50 Shades of Fay' I don't intend to plagiarize, I just thought it was a great, and interesting concept.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.... my muse shows no signs of stopping yet! However, as I am in college, when it gets near finals, as we are approaching more rapidly that I would like, I probably won't be able to post much if at all :/
> 
> Thank you to my subscribers and those who have left kudos, you really make my day! :)
> 
> Also, once again, shameless plug, here's the link to my redbubble shop: Tesla-Graves.redbubble.com  
> We now have Jareth art, as well as the Wise Man, and we'll continue to work on that, as well as, you know, other unrelated but equally nerdy things. If you have any requests for fanfic related, or not fanfic related designs, comment and let me know, and I will do my best to satisfy with my (somewhat) limited skill :)

Sarah’s eyes sought his, narrowing. “...Jareth...” her tone was no longer quite so friendly. “What did you do to them?”

Jareth sighed dramatically and put on a tragic expression. “Alas, you instantly blame me?”

“What did you do? If nothing, then you don’t need to be hurt, but obviously, even just with your normal goblins that you don’t give a shit about, you don’t have a great track record with! You bog them left and right, and you killed the one that brought me here! As a ‘reward’!” Her lips thinned a little as she spoke, and she leaned away from him a bit.

He sneered. “I can do whatever I want, Precious. The sooner you get that in your head, the happier you will be.”

She stood up abruptly, clenching her fists. Through clenched teeth, “Jareth. What. Did. You. Do?”

He grinned, a mirthless, ruthless grin, and she began to hate herself for ever liking or trusting this man. Case or no, she didn’t want to win by consorting with a murderer. “Oh... Precious... well, you see, when you left, it caused a major diplomatic breach. You see, the Labyrinth and I were expecting you to stay as queen--”

“Stop talking about your  _ disgusting _ maze as though it’s alive. It’s not. It’s just a maze.”

“ _ SHE _ is alive, precious, and currently not pleased with you, so I would watch my tongue if I were you.”

“Well, you aren’t me, thank the gods. I would prefer anything than to be related to you or to...” She shuddered, “be you.”

His lip curled up. Growling, “ _ as I was saying... _ and I turned down a rather important political match on those grounds... when you left, he was convinced that I had lied, and threatened to invade... the only thing that I could do was to punish the traitors who helped you through the maze. Otherwise we would have gone down in flames.”

She swallowed, her eyes now shining with unshed tears. Her voice shook as she asked the question that was forefront on her mind, hoping against hope for another answer than the one that she knew she could most expect. “P-punish them... h-how?”

Simply, casually, “Death, of course. What did you expect? Would you like to see?” He twirled his wrist, and a crystal appeared. She glanced inside and immediately looked again, pale.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You--! You’re horrible, dark, twisted, broken, wrong, everything awful, terrible, an major shithead, an enormous--! You know what? I’m not going to continue, because you’re enjoying this, and it stains the memories of my friends to even attempt to voice exactly what kind of  _ creature _ you are. I will never forgive you, ever!” She started backing up, lost for words now, fighting tears. She knew that that would only serve to amuse further this... this...  _ being _ in front of her, and she wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction if she could help it.

Jareth’s eyes glinted darkly at her, amused. “You just found this out, Precious? And you know why I am what I am? You broke me. When you left, when you rejected me, you broke everything that I was. You took with you any goodness, kindness, in short any proper feeling. So really, the one responsible for your friends’ deaths is you. It should please you to know that they were loyal to the last... so much so that the last thing on their lips, mixed with their dying shrieks, was your name... with curses it’s true, but still.”

She was shaking. Low, eyes flashing, the effect amplified by her still captive tears, “There are no words for what you are. The lowest of the low. You just killed them to take revenge on me, didn’t you.”

He laughed. “Not entirely... It’s true that I would probably have made their deaths more painless if they hadn’t assisted you in destroying me utterly, but... they still had to die. The diplomatic threat was very real.”

Something inside of Sarah snapped as she stared at this cruel, remorseless man, who watched her pain with amusement. Her voice raised to a shout. “I don’t give a  _ shit _ about the diplomatic threat! As far as I’m concerned, your entire kingdom could have burned to the ground, if you had spared them... and don’t even begin to claim that you wouldn’t have just ran away, played the pipes as you watched Rome burn! I can promise you that if you’re Nero, I’ll be Messalina and destroy you... I’ll ride my chariot over your broken, bloody body, and laugh as the blood splashes on my clothes. I will make your life a living, burning hell for as long as I can. You didn’t have to touch them! You...” She raised a hand, only mildly surprised as a crystal of her own began to dance in her hand. She was poised to hurl it, when a woman she didn’t know with purple hair appeared in front of Jareth. She lowered her hand slowly. While she didn’t give a shit about destroying Jareth, she was not yet certain where this person fit into the scheme of things, and she didn’t want to be like Jareth, allowing innocent persons to get caught in the crossfire.

Jareth snarled. “Lyris! Don’t interfere.”

The woman, Lyris apparently, looked at him. “You fool. I wouldn’t have, if you’d gotten hurt here, it would have been your fault for interfering with your Champion’s friends, but I can’t watch her become like you.”

His eyes narrowed. “Lyris...” There was an unspoken warning and a threat floating in the air.

“She is the Champion. My allegiance is split when she is here. In this moment, I choose her, because she is still retrievable and you are not.” She turned to Sarah and made a formal bow. “Excuse me, Champion, please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Lyris, more familiarly known to you as the Labyrinth. I am afraid for your current mental and emotional state, and thus I take it upon myself to separate you from this... my king. You are aware, of course, that he enjoys watching those he manipulates snap. You are affording him infinite pleasure and amusement while you retain this state. If you truly want to make his life hell, as it seems you so desire, allow me to take you away from this situation and advise you. None know him so well as I, I assure you.”

Sarah examined Lyris suspiciously. She would be tempted to simply refuse and move on, but Jareth’s face, frustrated and dark behind Lyris made Sarah pause. It proved that this was not a part of the plan, and that made her trust the woman a little more. Besides, it was clear to her now that as Champion, she had powers, and the Labyrinth must have given her them, as Jareth had no power over her, as per her declaration. Lyris raised her eyes, half pleadingly, half commandingly. Sarah nodded imperceptibly. “Do as you wish, O Labyrinth.” She bowed formally back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lyris took her hand and suddenly they were in an unfamiliar meadow. The air was pure, sweet, and warm, and the place itself was beautiful. The tall, waving grass was dotted with innumerable little flowers. Sarah turned to look at Lyris, questioning. Her tears wavered, but she tightened her face. Lyris smiled at the younger woman, gentle and motherly.

“My dear, this is my place in the Labyrinth. You are in the core. And... sweet one, let yourself cry. You need it.”

That broke something in Sarah. She broke down and began sobbing. Lyris pulled Sarah close and cradled her.

“That’s right... let it out... I know... He can be worse than disgusting... Just let it out.”

Sarah sobbed for all she was worth. The more tears that fell, the more cracks she felt in her heart, yet she couldn’t, wouldn’t stop. She cried not only for Ludo, not only for Hoggle, not only for Didymus, but for the kingdom, for the Labyrinth, for the Underground that it had such a person in it, and for her breaking heart. She had begun to trust him a little, maybe even like him! But then... and to offer to show her! To show her even a snippet! What she had seen had almost broken her, and it was such a tiny portion of the punishment... Sniffling, tears still flowing, though no longer outright bawling, she looked up at Lyris. “Labyrinth...”

Gently, Lyris smiled and brushed a strand of hair off of Sarah’s face and behind her ear. “Lyris, dear. No need for such formality.”

“Lyris then... Can... Can Fae lie? I had always understood that they couldn’t, but...” Part of her was beginning to hope, even though she felt disgusted with herself to even hope that that man could be lying. She knew well enough that he was not for her, especially as, even if he was just lying, to tell a lie like that...

Lyris sighed. “No... and yes, sweet one. They cannot tell a direct lie, however... half-truths, deliberately blurring information, and generally bending facts so as to essentially lie.”

The little hope that had reared its head abruptly shrivelled and died. “So... so he couldn’t have been...”

“No dear, he really did that.”

“And you didn’t try to... to stop him?”

“Well...” Sarah noticed her hesitation and pushed away from her a little. Her eyes sharpened a touch.

“Why didn’t you?”

Lyris sighed and lowered her eyes. “Sweet one... I’m... he was furious. But I am his Labyrinth. He ordered me not to interfere, and when I don’t have another person to whom I owe allegiance present, I can’t disobey him since I picked him as my king. The only thing I could have done would be elect a new king, but I can only have a king from his bloodline and he doesn’t have any children... There was a diplomatic threat, it is true, but the other just demanded the punishment... and didn’t demand that it be death. He merely demanded that they pay a reasonable price. The problem with that was, Jareth was not reasonable. He claimed that the reasonable price was a gruesome death. I’m sorry. I was helpless against him.”

“You... can’t disobey him?”

“Not unless  _ you _ are present”

“Why me?”

“Because, my dear, as the Champion, you are the Queen Consort, should you choose to take it. Even though you did not accept his hand, you are still queen by Challenger Right.”

“Challenger Right?” Sarah was allowing Lyris’s soothing voice to wash over her. She refused to forget Hoggle and the others, but she understood that it was wise to allow herself to calm down.

“I can only be ruled by someone who has beaten my Labyrinth. Which makes it even harder to replace a king. My king must be from Jareth’s bloodline, and he was the only male of his siblings that beat me... and his father was already High King by then, and so could not resume his older position. The queen, likewise, must be chosen by Challenge. You challenged, and succeeded, even after he took away time. You are truly his equal.”

Sarah nodded, her mind struggling to process as once again she was inundated with new information. “And... um... you both said political match, but you both said ‘he’...”

“Yes dear, he. In the Underground, we don’t have special names for sexual orientations or the gender spectrum. The closest way to describe any and all Fae, by human terms, would be pansexual, but that’s still not entirely accurate. The political match would have been with the king of the dragons. The dragons are strong, rich as one might expect, and an alliance would only benefit us.”

Sarah nodded again. Quietly, wiping the last of her tears, “You said you know how to make Jareth’s life hell?”

Lyris grinned suddenly, a happy, childish grin. “Yes sweet one... two ways. One, don’t give him any reaction, even a dosage of coldness... he’s a very passion-driven man, that would annoy him to no end... and, two, beat him. He hates it when he loses, especially at his own games.”

Sarah smiled softly in response. “Well, I plan to win.”

Lyris smiled. “Now, let’s get you back to your room, dear. My advice would be, don’t leave your room until you feel collected, and like you can meet him without trying to murder him... he can’t force you to, and he can’t enter without an invitation, which I sincerely doubt you gave him.” Sarah nodded.

“Great! Let’s go then.” Everything blurred again, and then they were back in Sarah’s room. She looked at Lyris. Gratefully, “Thank you. For everything. Your help and...”

The corner of Lyris’s eyes crinkled kindly. “Of course. And if you want me, just call my name. I will be there.” Sarah nodded, and Lyris disappeared in a showered of butterflies which, in their turn, vanished. Sarah laid herself down for a nap and slept for quite some time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Sarah finally opened her eyes, she saw a crystal on her bedside table. She sat up quickly. When she reached toward it, Jareth’s velvet voice echoed from nowhere around her chambers. “Glad to see you are awake, Precious. Of course, I could not enter. However, I had guessed that you must have been sleeping. This crystal contains the full record of the fates of Hoggle the dwarf, Ludo the rock-caller, and Sir Didymus the knight. Should you choose to view the circumstances, merely touch the crystal, and it will show you everything exactly as it was. I will see you when you are feeling more up to company once more, my dear Sarah-mine.”

She clenched her fists. She found herself drawn to the crystal, but tried to hold herself back, considering whether it would even do any good for her to see the fates of them. Finally, she gave into temptation and reached for the crystal.  _ ‘After all... _ ’ she reasoned,  _ ‘I should take any opportunity I can get to hate the bastard to the fullest extent... otherwise, I might find myself continuing to love him, hate myself for it, and breaking my heart daily. _ ’ She touched her, her mouth opening in a silent scream when it zapped her with dark lightning, and she was sucked inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you guys go! For those of you (my SO included) who thought them getting along so peachily was a little sus, it definitely was. And we can't have that! I know, I know, some of you are gonna be furious about what I did to Ludo, Didymus, and Hoggle. I would apologize, but it allows for plenty Sarah-Jareth tension. Besides, we all know by now that Jareth is cracked! So. Sorry not sorry, y'all will get a happy ending eventually, I promise.
> 
> For those of you who might be annoyed at my lack of consistency when I do my little "~~~~" in between thing... I don't count them or anything, I just click the button until it feels right, so... sorry *shrug*
> 
> Edit: Just a warning, lotsa homework, I don't expect to really be able to do much more than a chapter a week if that. Sorry, I'm a super busy bean.


End file.
